


Partiality

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Crushes, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Fluff, Hugs, Reunions, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22274728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Byleth enjoys a more private reunion with one of her former students.
Relationships: Raphael Kirsten/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30
Collections: FandomWeekly (2019-2020) Writing Challenge on Dreamwidth





	Partiality

She'd expected the Golden Deer to greet her with joy and smiles, but she hadn't expected a near-crushing bear hug the moment she and Raphael were the only ones in the room. Though in hindsight, maybe she should have.

"I thought you were dead! I mean, not that I'd say it out loud, Claude wouldn't let any of us give up on you, but still..." She felt his face press against her hair, and she could swear he was shaking a little. Raphael was pretty open with his feelings, but right now she could sense he was trying not to start weeping as he prattled on and on about all she'd missed.

Truthfully, Byleth had come dangerously close to tearing up several times during the big reunion. Even if they'd never given up on her coming back, she could tell it hadn't been easy on them. And even in her comatose state she'd dreamed about them.

Especially Raphael. It wasn't right for a teacher to play favorites with her students, much less feel warm and fuzzy all over whenever she got to be alone with him, but she'd always had a special affinity for Raphael. Even with all he'd been through losing his parents and worrying about being a good knight and struggling with his studies, he never stopped trying.

He was the kind of person she could easily fall for if she wasn't careful.

"A-anyway, sorry for going on so long." He loosened his grip, but still kept her close. He'd grown a few inches, she barely came up to his shoulder now. "I'm just...so _happy_ you're back after all that time!"

"I'm sorry I took so long," Byleth said. "I missed you."

"Just me?"

"Er, all of you!" She laughed nervously. "But, well...to be perfectly honest, Raphael, I'm especially happy to see you."

"Heh..." His cheeks went pink, and he held her closer. He'd gotten stronger, too, Byleth noticed. "Well, I think I missed you just about more than anyone here did, even Claude! Not that I'd _say_ it, cause, you know, it's not a contest or anything. We're all a team here! It's just, you're...really special to me, you know?" Byleth's own face flushed hotly, and she couldn't help pressing her cheek further against his shoulder.

"The feeling is mutual."

She could have just stayed like that with him for the rest of the afternoon, maybe the rest of the day. But Hilda poked her head into the room, it was time for a strategy meeting with Claude and Seteth and the others. Raphael sighed, reluctantly pulling his arm away from her.

"There's still a lot we've gotta catch you up on," he said. "But...listen, you wanna come to the dining hall with me later? Share a good meal, have a nice talk just like we used to back then?" Byleth nodded, unable to help a small, pleased laugh from escaping her. Same old Raphael Kirsten.

"I'd love to."

"Great!" He smiled. "It'll be just like old times." But something in his gaze suggested otherwise. Things had changed, he wasn't her student anymore, and as it turned out feelings could grow and change even while you were unconscious for five years.

She followed him to the conference room, her pulse racing doubly quick to make up for her lack of a proper heartbeat.

_Technically, it's okay to play favorites a little now that I'm not his teacher anymore, right?_


End file.
